Transactions with Related Parties

3 Months Ended

Mar. 29, 2026

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Transactions with Related Parties

Transactions with Related Parties

Except as described below, the Company did not have any significant changes in or transactions with its related parties during the current fiscal period since those reported in the Form 10-K.

TimWen Lease and Management Fee Payments

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Wendy’s leases restaurant facilities from TimWen, which are then subleased to franchisees for the operation of Wendy’s/Tim Hortons combo units in Canada. Wendy’s paid TimWen $4,763 and $4,798 under these lease agreements during the three months ended March 29, 2026 and March 30, 2025, respectively, which has been recorded to “Franchise rental expense.” In addition, TimWen paid Wendy’s a management fee under the TimWen joint venture agreement

of $59 and $56 during the three months ended March 29, 2026 and March 30, 2025, respectively, which is included as a reduction to “General and administrative.”

Transactions with Yellow Cab

Certain family members and/or affiliates of Mr. Nelson Peltz, our former Chairman and Chairman Emeritus, Mr. Peter May, our Senior Vice Chairman, and Mr. Matthew Peltz, our former Vice Chairman, hold minority ownership interests in Yellow Cab Holdings, LLC (“Yellow Cab”), a Wendy’s franchisee that, as of March 29, 2026 owned and operated 87 Wendy’s restaurants, and/or certain of the operating companies managed by Yellow Cab. In addition, Mr. Bradley Peltz, a director of the Company, is a Managing Director of, and holds a minority ownership interest in, Yellow Cab. During the three months ended March 29, 2026 and March 30, 2025, the Company recognized $3,827 and $3,664, respectively, in royalty, advertising fund, lease and other income from Yellow Cab and related entities. In all transactions involving Yellow Cab, the Company’s standard franchisee recruiting and approval processes were followed, no modifications were made to the Company’s standard franchise agreements or related documents, and all deal terms and transaction documents were negotiated and executed on an arm’s-length basis, consistent with the Company’s comparable franchise transactions and relationships. As of March 29, 2026 and December 28, 2025, $1,336 and $1,045, respectively, was due from Yellow Cab for such income, which is included in “Accounts and notes receivable, net” and “Advertising funds restricted assets.”

Transactions with AMC

Ms. Kristin Dolan, a director of the Company, serves as the Chief Executive Officer of AMC Networks Inc. (“AMC”). During the three months ended March 30, 2025, the Company purchased approximately $300 of advertising time from a subsidiary of AMC. During the three months ended March 29, 2026, no advertising time was purchased from a subsidiary of AMC. The Company’s advertising spend with AMC was made in the ordinary course of business and approved on an arm’s-length basis, consistent with the Company’s comparable advertising decisions. There were no amounts due to AMC as of March 29, 2026 and December 28, 2025.